Earth boring derrick



May 24, 1966 c. w. VERRELL ET AL 3,252,526

EARTH BORING DERRICK Filed Jan. 30, 1963 4 Sheets$heet 1 INVBNTORS CURTISS W. VERRELL BY DANIEL H. ZVIIGHT ATTORNEYS y 1966 c. w. VERRELL ET AL 3,252,526

EARTH BORING DERRICK Filed Jan. 30, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

INVENTORS CURTISS W. VERRELL BY DANIEL H. ZWIGHT ATTORN May M, 1300 cwvmm rm 6mm EARTH BORING DERRICK Filed Jan. 50, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 21:: 2:; O s I J L y 1966 c. w. VERRELL. ETAL 3,252,526

EARTH BORING DERRI OK 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 30, 1963 1 75%. HT omvsys United States Patent Ofi ice 3,252,526 Patented May 24, 1966 Filed Jan. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 254,871 13 Claims. (Cl. 173-38) This invention relates in general to derricks or cranes, and more particularly to a derrick or crane for use with an earth boring tool, for digging or drilling holes in the ground.

The derrick of the invention is illustrated as being of a portable type mounted on a utility type of vehicle, and one which may be adapted for handling and erecting various objects, such as telephone or telegraph poles, and one capable of performing all of the necessary work operations associated with setting a utility line pole in proper place along a thoroughfare or the like. In such a derrick arrangement, the earth boring tool is generally suspended from the derrick with the derrick being pivoted for movement through a predetermined range in a generally vertical plane, and both above and below ahorizontal plane passing through the pivotal axis of the derrick. The derrick may be swung or actuated in its vertical plane range of movement by fluid powered motor unit or units, and the power driven earth boring tool or auger is adapted to be pushed or driven into the ground, and withdrawn from the ground, by the vertically swingable derrick.

With prior art arrangements of derrick, the etiective force able to be provided by the derrick boom for pushing the earth boring tool into the ground has generally materially diminished as the derrick or boom moved from above the horizontal to below the horizontal. Oftentirnes as much as 40% diminishment of the force capacity of the derrick has occurred, thus resulting in a material decrease in the digging capacity and efiiciency of the earth boring tool as it progressed into the ground.

The present invention provides a derrick for earth boring purposes which is actuated by motor means and which will have a more constant load or force capacity, and especially will have approximately the same force capacity from a predetermined angular position above a horizontal plane passing through the pivotal axis of the derrick as from a predetermined angular position of the derrick when disposed below said horizontal plane, and will provide an effective utilization of the force capacity available from a predetermined size of motor means, thus resulting in a more effective and efiicient digging operation by the earth borer. This uniform force capacity when operating the derrick with an earth boring tool, or digging tool, is also useful when using the derrick for lifting instead of pushing, since the lifting capacity of the derrick is likewise more uniform at angular positions below and above the horizontal.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of derrick.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of earth boring derrick having a more uniform force capacity at predetermined angular relationships above and below the horizontal.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pivotally mounted earth boring derrick with the earth boring tool suspended therefrom, and including power operated means for raising and lowering the derrick above and below a horizontal plane passing through the pivotal mounting of the derrick, and wherein said power means is so disposed and arranged with respect to the derrick that the latter has substantially uniform force capacity within a predetermined range both above and below the horizontal, and particularly at equal angular positions above and below the horizontal.

A' more specific object of the invention is to provide an earth boring derrick pivotally mounted on a utility type of vehicle for swinging movement in a generally vertical plane, and wherein the earth boring tool is suspended from the derrick boom, and wherein reciprocal, fluid powered motor units are pivotally supported adjacent the pivotal mounting of the derrick boom, and are pivotally coupled to the derrick boom, for raising and lowering the derrick boom above and below a horizontal plane passing through the pivotal axis of the derrick boom, and wherein the pivotal mountings of the fluid powered motor units are so arranged with respect to the pivotal axis of the derrick boom and the pivotal couplings of the motor units to the derrick boom, that the derrick will have a substantially constant load capacity at predetermined angular relationships both above and below a horizontal plane passing through the pivotal, axis of the derrick boom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel, powered, head sheave assembly for a derrick, and particularly an earth boring derrick.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanyiug drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the derrick of the invention as mounted on a utility type of vehicle, and illustrating an earth boring tool suspended from the outer end of the derrick boom and being urged into the ground by the derrick;

FIG. 2 is a top plan, generally diagrammatic view of the derrick of FIG. 1 as mounted in a storage position on the vehicle, and with the associated earth boring tool having been swung upwardly into a parallel storage arrangement with respect to the derrick boom and being secured thereto; I

FIG. 3 is a generally diagrammatic, rear end elevational View of the utility type vehicle and associated derrick structure, with the earth boring implement or tool having been eliminated in the interests of simplicity;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration showing the angular relationship between the derrick boom and the fluid powered motor unit for pivoting or swinging the boom in a generally vertical plane, and illustrating the positional relationships between the motor unit, the connection of the motor unit to the boom and the pivotal axis of the boom, when the boom is disposed in a horizontal position and in predetermined angular positions both above and below the horizontal position;

FIG. 5 is a broken, enlarged, elevational view of the low end or pivotal'section of the boom;

FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the boom structure illustrated in FIG. 5, taken generally along the plane 6-6 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is an elevational, partially sectioned view of the head sheave of the derrick illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the head sheave as illustrated in FIG. 7 taken generally along the plane of line 88 of FIG. 7.

Referring now again to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, there is shown a wheeled utiiity vehicle 10, having a truck body which carries a movable derrick 12 thereon. The derrick boom may be mounted on a pedestal 14 adapted for rotational movement about a generally vertical axis, for swinging of the boom in a generally horizontal plane, and may be rotatable through 360 degrees. Conventional power means may be provided for so swinging the derrick boom. The boom may be pivoted adjacent the lower end thereof as at 16, for swinging movement in a gene-rally vertical plane with respect to the vehicle. This swinging movement of the boom in a generally vertical plane may be from a position below a horizontal plane passing through axis 16, to a position well above such horizontal plane.

Int-he embodiment of derrick illustrated, the derrick has a vertical range of movement of about 105 degrees, and may be swung from about 30 degrees below the horizontal to about 75 degrees above the horizontal. Fluid powered, reciprocal motor means 18 may be pro vided for so swinging the boom in a generally vertical plane, and the relationship of such motor means with resipectl to the boom will be hereinafter described in greater etai.

Fluid motor actuated jack mechanism 19 (FIG. 3) of known type, may be utilized for stabilizing the vehicle during operation of the derrick.

The derrick boom illustrated embodies an inner or lower, generally hollow boom section 22, pivoted as aforementioned as at 16 to the pedestal frame 23, and an outer generally hollow extendible section 26, which may be received in telescoping relation in the lower or inner section 22 of the boom. A reciprocal, fluid powered motor unit 27 (FIG. 1) may be disposed interiorly of one of the boom sections, for extension and retraction of the boom sections in a manner known in the art.

The outer end of the boom may be provided with a head sheave assembly 28 which sheave assembly in the embodiment illustrated is powered by a rotary fluid po-wered motor unit 28a mounted on such head sheave assembly, and will be hereinafter described in greater detail.

An earth boring mechanism or tool 30 is attached to the boom and depends therefrom, with such earth boring mechanism being of the well known rotatable auger type for drilling a hole in the ground upon downward movement of the boom. Such earth boring arrangement may comprise a tool supporting member or collar 32 mounted on the extendible section 26 of the boom and which may be pivotally connected as at 33 to a transmission housing 34 of the earth boring tool. Such an earth boring tool supporting arrangement may be of the general type illustrated in United States Patent No. 3,073,455, issued January 15, 1963, to George H. Eckels et al., and comprising an arrangement wherein the tool supporting member or collar 32 can be coupled to either the relatively stationary inner section 22 of the boom, or may be coupled to the extendible section 26 of the boom, to permit carrying of the work tool outwardly with the boom, and adjustment of the position of the tool lengthwise with respect to the boom, for the full operating range of the boom extension.

A rotary, fluid powered motor unit 38 may be supported on the earth borer transmission housing 34, and may be supplied with pressurized actuating fluid by means of extensible and retractible, fluid transmission line means 42 mounted on the boom 12 in a manner known in the art. Reference may be had to United States Patent No. 3,073,396, issued January 15, 1963, to George H. Eckels for a more detailed disclosure of a suitable arrangement of telescoping fluid transmission lines for furnishing pressuriz/ed fluid to motor unit 38 as supported by a derrick boom. As can be seen, and as is illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings, such telescoping line means 42 also can furnish pressurized fluid to the motor unit 28a of the powered head sheave assembly 28, and as will be hereinafter discussed in greater detail.

Now in accordance with the instant invention, there is provided the aforementioned reciprocal, fluid powered ciprocal piston rod 48 of each motor unit is pivotally coupled as at 50 to trunnion 52 projecting laterally from each side of the boom structure. It will be seen, therefore, that upon retraction of the piston rods 48 of the motor units 18 from the position illustrated in FIG. 1, the boom will be swung downwardly about pivot 16, below the horizontal, and upon extension of the piston rods 48 of the motor units 18 fro-m the position illustrated in FIG. 1, the boom will be swung upwardly above the horizontal. As best shown in FIG. 5, the boom at its pivoted end may be enlarged, so as to increase the spacing between boom pivot 16 and motor unit pivot 52, with motor unit pivot 52 being disposed forwardly of or closer to the the free end of the boom as compared to boom pivot 16.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the latter diagrammatically illustrates the relationship between one of the motor units 18, and its pivot points 46 and 50 with respect to the boom on the latters pivot point 16, upon swinging of the boom thirty degrees above and below a horizontal plane passing through the pivotal axis 16 of the boom. During such swinging movement of the boom, the motor units 18 likewise pivot about their pivot points 46 due to their pivotal connections 50 to the boom. It will be seen from FIG. 4 that when the boom 12 is swung thirty degrees below the horizontal to position 12', the angular relationship X between the axis of the motor units 18 and the boom is approximately the same as when the boom (has been moved thirty degrees above the horizontal to posiground, throughout a predetermined angular range of movement of the boom above and below the horizontal, as well as a considerable effective value of force capacity for a predetermined size of motor units 18, for drilling a hole into the ground. It will be understood that while thirty degrees has been utilized, other angular relationships of the boom could be used depending upon the length of the earth boring auger, the height of the pivotal connection of the boom above ound level, and the desired range of depth of drilling.

As shown in FIG. 2, the earth boring tool is adapted to be swung upwardly into generally parallel, side-by side relationship with the derrick boom for storage, and

may be detachably maintained in such stored position by means of a bracket 60 of known construction.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the powered head sheave assembly 28 may comprise a housing 62 having side flange members 64 rotatably mounting a sheave 66 thereon. Sheave 66 may be mounted in bear-ing 66a supported by the flange 64 of the she-ave assembly. Detach-a-bly secured directly to the transversely extending wall 68 of flange 64 may be the aforementioned fluid powered, high speed rotary motor unit 28a of conventional type. The drive shaft of such motor unit is coupled in the embodiment illustrated, to a detachable geared reduction mechanism 72 of conventional type, and which has a shaft 72a coupled to the sheave 66, for rotating the sheave under the control of the fluid powered motor unit 28a. A flexible lift line 74, such as a cable, may coact with sheave 66, for raising and lowering a'load, upon actuation of motor unit 28a. Assembly 28 may be connected to the outer section 26 of the boom by any suitable means. Such an arrangement eliminates the necessity of -a long lift line extending around a sheave and then down along the boom and thence to a power operated winch which in the past has been conventionally mounted somewhere on the vehicle chassis. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the pressurized fluid for operating motor unit 28a may be supplied via the aforementioned telescoping transmission line means 42 mounted on the boom.

' Shaft means 76 may be coupled as at 78 to the sheave 66, and projects laterally of the respective side flange 64 of housing 62. Shadt means 76 may be used as a power take-off from the sheave 66, such sha ft means 76 being adapted to rotate upon rotation of the sheave 66 by the motor unit 28a.

From the foregoing discussion and accompanying drawings it will be seen that the invention provides a novel arrangement of derrick and one that has substantially uniform force capacity in a predetermined vertical range of movement, for making more eifective the digging 'op erations of an associated earth boring mechanism. The invention also provides an earth boring derrick with a novel powered head sheave assembly.

The terms and expressions which have been used are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of any of the features shown or described, or portions thereof, and it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

We claim: p

1. In a derrick for earth boring operations comprising, a support member, a boom member pivotally mounted on said support member for movement in a generally vertical plane both above and below a horizontal plane passing through the pivotal axis of said boom member,

and means coacn'ng between said boom member and said support member for actuating said boom member for said movement in said vertical plane, the last mentioned means comprising reciprocal fluid powered motor means including a cylinder portion and a projecting piston rod portion, said cylinder portion generally adjacent the piston rod end thereof being movably coupled to one of said members and said piston rod portion being movably coupled to the other of said members in vertically spaced relation to the coupling of said cylinder portion to said one member, for movement of said motor means in a generally vertical plane upon actuation of said motor means, said motor means providing substantially uniform force capacity for the boom through predetermined angular ranges both above and below said horizontal plane.

2. A derrick for earth boring operations comprising, a boom member, a support member, means pivotally mounting said boom member on said support member for swinging movement in a generally vertical plane both above and below a horizontal plane passing through said boom pivotal mounting means, means on the boom member for suspending an earth boring tool from the boom member, and means coacting between said members for swinging said boom member in said vertical plane, the last mentioned means comprising a reciprocal fluid-powered motor unit mounted on one of said members for pivotal movement in a generally verticai plane, said motor unit including a cylinder portion and a piston rod portion projecting outwardly from said cylinder portion, means pivotally coupling said cylinder portion generally adjacent the piston rod end thereof to said one member and means pivotally coupling said piston rod portion to the other of said members so that upon actuation of said motor unit said boom member is swung in its vertical plane, the pivotal axis of said motor unit being so disposed with respect to said means pivotally coupling said piston rod portion to said other member and with respect to said means pivotally mounting said boom member on said support member that the force capacity of said boom member is generally uniform at least from predetermined angular positions above and below said horizontal plane.

3. A derrick in accordance with claim 2 wherein said boom member and said means for actuating said boom member in said vertical plane are mounted on a pedestal for rotational movement about a generally vertical axis.

4. A derrick for earth boring operations comprising a support, a boom pivotally mounted on said support for swinging movement in a generally vertical plane, an earth boring auger supported on said boom and adapted for drilling a hole in the ground upon downward swinging movement of said boom, and means for swinging said boom in said generally vertical plane, said means comprising a reciprocal fluid powered motor unit including a cylinder portion and a piston rod portion projecting outwardly of the cylinder portion supported on said support generally adjacent said boom, means pivotally mounting said cylinder portion adjacent the piston rod end thereof on said support for pivotal swinging movement in a generally vertical lane, said piston rod portion of said motor unit being pivotally coupled to said boom radially of the pivotal mounting of said boom to said support, said pivotal mounting of said cylinder portion being disposed closer to the axis of the pivotal mounting of said boom to said support than the axis of the pivotal coupling of said piston rod portion to said boom, whereby the force capacity of the boom is substantially uniform from a pre-' determined angular position below a horizontal plane passing through the pivotal mounting axis of said boom to a like predetermined angular position of the boom above the horizontal plane passing through said boom pivotal mounting axis.

5. A derrick in accordance with claim 4 wherein the pivoted end portion of said boom is enlarged as compared to the remainder of the boom and the pivotal coupling of said motor unit to said boom is disposed above the lengthwise axis of said boom and the pivotal coupling of said boom to said support is disposed below the lengthwise axis of said boom, said pivotal coupling of said motor unit to said boom being disposed closer to the free end of said boom than the pivotal mounting of said boom is disposed to the free end of said boom.

6. An earth boring derrick comprising a support, an elongated boom, said boom comprising an inner section and an outer section disposed in telescopic relation with respect to the inner section, means for telescopically moving said outer section with respect to said inner section, means pivotally mounting said boominner section on said support for swinging movement of boom in a generally vertical plane, a power driven earth boring auger suspended from said boom adjacent the free end thereof, and power means for swinging said boom and attached anger in said generally vertical plane, said power means comprising a reciprocal fiuid powered motor unit disposed on each side of said boom, means pivotally mounting each of the motor units on said support for angling movement in a generally vertical plane parallel to the vertical plane of movement of said boom, each of said motor units comprising a cylinder and a piston rod projecting from the cylinder and adapted for reciprocal movement in said cylinder said cylinder being pivoted to said support adja cent the piston rod end of said cylinder, means coupling said rod to said boom at an elevation above the pivotal coupling of said boom inner section to the support, said means pivotally mounting each of said motor units being disposed at an elevation above the pivotal coupling of said boom inner section to the support and closer to the free end of the boom than the last mentioned pivotal coupling, the axis of said last mentioned pivotal coupling being dis posed closer to the pivotal means mounting said motor units on said support than to said means coupling said rods to said boom.

7. A derrick for earth boring operations comprising, a support, a boom pivotally mounted on said support for swinging movement in a generally vertical plane both above and below a horizontal plane passing through the pivotal mounting of said boom, means on the boom for suspending an earth boring tool from the boom, and means for swinging said boom in said generally vertical plane, the last mentioned means comprising, a reciprocal fluid-powered motor unit including a cylinder and a piston rod, said motor unit being supported on said support generally laterally of said boom, means pivotally mounting said motor unit cylinder generally adjacent the piston rod end thereof on the support for pivotal angling movement in a generally vertical plane, said piston rod being pivotally coupled to the pivoted end of said boom radially of the pivotal mounting of said boom to said support, said pivotal mounting of said motor unit cylinder to said support being disposed closer to the axis of the pivotal mounting of said boom to said support than the axis of the pivotal coupling of said motor unit piston rod to said boom, said motor unit providing a substantially uniform force capacity for the boom from a predetermined angular position below said horizontal plane to a like predetermined angular position of the boom above said horizontal plane.

8. A derrick for earth boring-operations comprising, a support member, a boom member pivotally mounted on said support member for swinging movement in a generally vertical plane both above and below a horizontal plane passing through the pivotal axis of said boom member, means on the boom member for suspending an earth boring tool from the boom, and means coacting with said boom member for swinging said boom member in said generally vertical plane, said last-mentioned means comprising a reciprocal fluid powered motor unit including a cylinder and a piston rod, said motor unit being disposed generally laterally of said boom member, means pivotally mounting said motor unit cylinder generally adjacent the piston rod end thereof to one of said members for pivotal angling movement in a generally vertical plane, said piston rod of said motor unit being pivotally coupled to the other of said members radially of the pivotal mounting of said boom member to said support member, said motor unit providing a substantially uniform force capacity for the boom member through predetermined angular ranges both'above and below said horizontal plane.

9. In an earth boring derrick the combination comprising, a support member, a boom member pivoted on the support member for movement in a generally vertical plane, an earth boring auger supported on said boom and adapted for drilling a hole in the ground upon downward swinging movement of said boom member, means for swinging said boom member in said generally vertical plane, said means comprising, a reciprocal fluid-powered motor unit including a cylinder and a piston rod projecting from said cylinder, means pivotally mounting said motor unit cylinder adjacent the piston rod end thereof on one of said members for pivotal swinging: movement in a generally vertical plane, said piston rod of said motor unit being pivotally coupled to the other of said members radially of the pivotal mounting of said boom member to said support member, whereby the force capacity of the boom member is substantially uniform from a'predetermined angular position below a horizontal plane passing through the pivotal mounting axis of said boom member to a generally like predetermined angular position of the boom member above said horizontal plane, and a sheave assembly mounted on said boom member, said sheave assembly comprising a rotatable sheave, a flexible line adapted to be reeved about said sheave upon predetermined rotation of the latter, and power means supported by said boom and operatively coupled to said sheave for selectively rotating the latter.-

10. A derrick in accordance with claim 9 wherein said earth boring tool and said power means are pressurized fluid driven, and means supported by said boom for transmitting pressurized fluid to and from said tool and said power means. i

11. An earth boring derrick in accordance with claim 9, wherein said sheave assembly comprises laterally spaced means rotatably mounting said sheave thereon, said power means comprising a fluid powered motor unit mounted on one of said laterally spaced means and being operatively coupled with said sheave for rotating said sheave, and shaft means operatively coupled to said sheave and extending laterally of said sheave and of the other of said laterally spaced means, said shaft means being rotatable by said sheave upon rotation of the latter. 7 I

12. An earth boring derrick in accordance with claim 11 wherein the second mentioned fluid powered motor unit is of a high speed rotary type, and geared reduction means operatively coupling said second mentioned motor unit to said sheave.

13. An earth boring derrick in accordance with claim 11 wherein said laterally spaced means comprises a housing partially enclosing said sheave and including at least one laterally projecting side flange, said second 'mentioned motor unit being detachably coupled to said side flange;

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS I 2,140,687 12/1938 Brown 74--15.6 2,669,880 2/1954 Brock et a1. 7415.6 3,034,767 5/1962 Gordon 254-4391 3,073,396 1/1963 Eckels 173-159 3,073,397 1/ 1963 Balough 173-28 3,116,840 1/1964 Carbert et a1 2143 BROUGHTON G. DURHAM, Primary Examiner.

D. FAULCONER, L. P. KESSLER, Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN A DERRICK FOR EARTH BORING OPERATIONS COMPRISING, A SUPPORT MEMBER, A BOOM MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW A HORIZONTAL PLANE PASSING THROUGH THE PIVOTAL AXIS OF SAID BOOM MEMBER, AND MEANS COACTING BETWEEN SAID BOOM MEMBER AND SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR ACTUATING SAID BOOM MEMBER FOR SAID MOVEMENT IN SAID VERTICAL PLANE, THE LAST MENTIONED MEANS COMPRISING RECIPROCAL FLUID POWERED MOTOR MEANS INCLUDING A CYLINDER PORTION AND A PROJECTING PISTON ROD PORTION, SAID CYLINDER PORTION GENERALLY ADJACENT THE PISTON ROD END THEREOF BEING MOVABLY COUPLED TO ONE OF SAID MEMBERS AND SAID PISTON ROD PORTION BEING MOVABLY COUPLED TO THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATION TO THE COUPLING OF SAID CYLINDER PORTION TO SAID ONE MEMBER, FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID MOTOR MEANS IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE UPON ACTUATION OF SAID MOTOR MEAN, SAID MOTOR MEANS PROVIDING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM FORCE CAPACITY FOR THE BOOM THROUGH PREDETERMINED ANGULAR RANGES BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW SAID HORIZONTAL PLANE. 